


A Lesson in Love

by onceuponagay



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Angst, Closeted Character, F/F, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-15 22:35:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15423114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponagay/pseuds/onceuponagay
Summary: Cliché teacher AU that no one asked for.The one where Emma is the new gym teacher and Regina thinks she's straight.





	1. Copies

You know those people who told you that high school would be the best years of your life? Well, they lied. Emma didn't miss high school. Not even for a second. Yet somehow she ended up working in one. Not only was she working in a high school, though, no. She was the _gym_   teacher. She had the _'privilege'_ of _'keeping the kids active'_ and was held responsible for making sure every student had their physical education credit to graduate. 

 

Unlike Emma, Regina Mills had always envisioned herself in the school system. Teaching was such a rewarding career, and though high school students thought they were grown, they were children all the same, and Regina loved watching them all grow into young men and women. Though the pay wasn't great, Regina didn't hesitate to take the sophomore English teacher position offered to her just over three years ago, believing that it was the best decision of her life to date.

 

The first week of school was always hectic. Regina quite liked it now that she was comfortable with not only her job but the school and staff. She'd made quite a few friends in various departments over the years, but it always intrigued her seeing new teachers come and go. This year was no different, because for the first time in over thirty years, they had a new PE instructor. For the short amount of time that Regina had been with the school, the gym teacher had always been Ms. Lucas. She was an older woman, but that didn't stop her from keeping the kids in line, and Regina was devastated to see her go. Though she loved the woman with all her heart, she could tell the job was taking a toll on her, and having a younger teacher was ultimately necessary for the growth of the school. 

 

After school let out that Friday, some of the teachers went home, but most of them stayed after to get ready for the following week. Emma was no exception. Most new teachers were probably over achievers who tried impressing the principal in hopes for a raise or to simply keep their job, but Emma wasn't worried about how she appeared to the principal or the other teachers. Of course, that was until she ran into a certain English teacher she had yet to be acquainted with, and by ran into, she meant  _literally_ into.

 

The copier down by the gym was never being used. Most people didn't know it even existed, and those who did wouldn't dare to think about walking across the entire school just to use it. Regina on the other hand liked stretching her legs and valued the privacy and alone time when making copies. After an entire week, it seemed that everything was just about normal, nothing had happened that she wasn't used to and she had been seeing the same faces, key phrase  _'had been'._

 

With an armful of fresh warm copies she headed out of the doorway only to be run into by a young blonde who didn't seem to look where she was going in the slightest. Her copies went everywhere, flying down the hall out of order as she stood there in shock, her breath quickening in anger as her gaze was lifted to meet the new gym teacher. She looked about her age, maybe a few years younger. Her curls reached her mid back and she seemed to take advantage of the 'casual Friday' attire, standing clad in jeans and a tee shirt paired with boots and a leather jacket. Regina huffed and stood taller as she fixed her hair, straightening out her simple black dress and composing herself as the blonde finished picking up the rest of the papers, a smirk on her face as she went to hand them back to her,

 

"I'm Emma Swan, I'm the new PE teacher.." she introduced herself with a smile, jutting out her hand as she waited for the woman to reciprocate the action. When the brunette just stood there with a slightly judgmental look on her face, she awkwardly pulled her hand back, shoving it into her back pocket as she cleared her throat and avoided the woman's gaze,

 

"You seem to know what you're doing, maybe you could show me..?" the blonde gestured to the papers in her own hands, her attempt less bold than the previous one as she dared to meet her gaze once more, surprised to see that the woman's expression had softened,

 

"And why should I help you when you've done nothing but cause me more work?" she asked a bit sharply as she slowly walked into the room, setting the papers down before starting to sort them, feeling a presence following her,

 

"Well, if you show me how, maybe I could do some copies for you?" she suggested as she slowly walked up behind her, watching as Regina stood straighter before turning to face Emma. The blonde smirked as she heard the brunette gasp at their closeness, obviously not realizing that she was literally behind her. Regina cleared her throat and wiggled her way towards the copier, letting out a breath before speaking, 

 

"I don't think that will be necessary, Miss Swan, I'm sure I'll be able to cope, thank you." she finished before walking over and taking the papers out of the blondes strong hands, placing one in position before making enough copies for six classes, moving to turn and get back to her own copies when she was faced with the new gym teacher who seemed to have no perception of personal space. Emma put her hand on the end of the machine, blocking the brunette's way out, another cheeky grin plastered on her face when the woman turned around and reacted nearly the same way she did not even moments before, 

 

"You never told me your name, you know." she commented lowly, watching as the flustered woman ducked under her arm and went back to collect her papers, fixing her hair again in the midst, 

 

"Oh didn't I?" Regina replied back with passive aggressive sarcasm that couldn't have been replicated if someone tried. Emma just smiled in shock and watched as the brunette finished sorting her papers, turning on her stiletto heels and leaving the room. Emma looked back to the copier and impatiently waited for them to finish before grabbing them all and rushing out with her own hands now full, having to jog to catch up with her. For being in six inch heels the woman was making good time,

 

"I'm going to figure it out sooner or later, might as well save us both the time and energy an-" She was cut off as Regina halted and turned to face her, definitely not finding this as amusing as Emma was as she gripped her papers tighter,

 

"Mills. My name is Regina Mills. Now, Miss Swan, if you don't mind some of us have lessons to plan, so may I get back to my classroom or will you insist on following me across the building?" She asked in frustration, waiting impatiently for the blonde to answer her, growing uncomfortable under the woman's gaze,

 

"Across the building..? Why were you all the way over by the gym?" She asked curiously, watching Regina roll her eyes and turn on her heels to leave, but not without Emma following close behind,

 

"I like the privacy and don't mind the walk. Ms. Lucas never used the copier so it was always unoccupied... until now." She said in annoyance, stopping in her tracks as Emma moved in front of her, stopping her from walking any further,

 

"Oh c'mon, it wouldn't be so bad to share with me, would it?" she teased softly, watching as the woman gave her a confused look,

 

"Do you always greet people like this or have I done something to provoke you?" the brunette asked with a tilt of her head. When she heard they were getting a new gym teacher, the last thing she expected was to be hit on by her the first week of school.

 

"Well that dress, for starters-" she said with a small laugh, seeing that Regina still wasn't amused,

 

"Seeming how forward you are I think it's only fair to mention that I'm not interested, Miss Swan, and never will be, so if you'll excuse me I need to get back to work." she concluded with one last huff as she walked around the blonde, or at least attempted to, but Emma's frame was larger than her own. The blonde stood her ground and smiled slightly before leaning in, the woman tensing from her closeness, but she didn't move away,

 

"See you on Monday.." she whispered with a smirk, walking around her finally and leaving the woman behind to head back to finish up her copies. Though she didn't look back, she knew Regina wasn't unaffected and not as 'uninterested' as she tried to make clear. Making it back to the copier she just smiled to herself, unaware that Regina was still nearly frozen in her spot, flustered beyond belief and she didn't even know why. She finally snapped out of it though and let out a breath, fixing her hair for the third time now and walking into her classroom, nearly collapsing at her desk as she tried to get the blonde out of her head.

 

 


	2. The Locker Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma is clumsy and Regina gets curious.

It had been a week since her first encounter with Miss Swan. Though the blonde seemed to be busy with adjusting to her new job, Regina was busy trying to focus on her own work rather than thinking about the new gym teacher. This was proving rather difficult, however, as school let out the second Friday of the school year.

 

All Regina could think about was Emma. Though she didn't always make copies on Fridays, she found herself heading to the copy room by the gym not even a half an hour after the buses had left. She found herself looking over her shoulder and into classrooms on her way there, but the closer she got the more she forced herself to try and focus on her work.

 

Emma had been a little more focused on her job, yes, but she also didn't want to suffocate Regina. She'd only just met the woman and she didn't particularly want to get fired for sexual harassment before fall break. 

 

As it was Friday, she couldn't help but think back to the previous week, and as she cleaned up in the locker rooms her mind wandered, she wondered if Regina was making copies. She had gotten so distracted thinking about the English teacher, that as she went to clean up the showers and throw the stray towels in the basket, she ended up slipping on a wet spot, desperately reaching to cling onto the curtain and ending up bringing it down with her.

 

"Shit." she cursed under her breath as she quickly moved to turn the shower off that she'd managed to bump on her fall down, ending up completely wet and shivering from the cold water. She stood and wiped her face with her hand, opening her eyes and going to grab a clean towel.

 

Regina typically wouldn't pay mind to any ruckus the other staff made, typically it came from janitors or from sports teams that had practice after school, but she couldn't help but leave her copies and go to find out what the loud thud was. 

 

She made her way to the locker rooms where she assumed the sound came from, knocking a few times before walking in, secretly hoping she wasn't about to walk into something she didn't want to see, knowing there had been a few students notorious for having 'quality time' on school grounds.

 

After she saw that there was no one in the locker room she headed to the showers, this made her even more nervous, but her better instincts knew she needed to make sure everyone was okay. Of course, everyone was fine, but that didn't stop Regina from turning red when she opened the door to find a half naked and drenched version of the woman she couldn't seem to stop thinking about. After this she was sure she was scarred for life. Any hopes of forgetting the blonde any time soon just went out the window.

 

Emma was a shivering mess, and her jeans were sticking to her and making her colder by the second, but she didn't have any back up clothes. Regardless of this, she knew drying off would at least help a little bit until she could get out of here and get warmed up in her car. She had already hung up her shirt and was in the process of removing her jeans when she looked up to see Regina in pure shock,

 

"I- sorry, I just, I heard a noise I wanted to make sure everyone was okay but I'll go-" she rambled slightly, avoiding her gaze and fixing her hair, trying to decide where to look and what to do.

 

Emma just let out a laugh. This situation wasn't something that she could've planned if she wanted to. She quickly took the towel and started drying off her arms and chest, pulling her pants back on as she watched Regina try and figure out how to react,

 

"I'm fine, I kinda slipped, the shower came on, it wasn't my most graceful moment." she joked as she brought the towel to her hair, squeezing it out. She acted as casual as possible and noticed how Regina's gaze moved to her stomach when she dried her hair. She smirked and flexed her abs, the brunette swallowing visibly before looking away once more, still a bit speechless,

 

"Thanks for checking on me though, I didn't realize you cared" she said softly, walking closer to her as she went to grab her damp shirt that was just next to her on the wall.

 

Regina cleared her throat as the blonde came closer, her eyes constantly moving as she tried to figure out where to look without being rude, just being in the woman's presence making her feel frozen in place, knowing even if she were to leave she would be followed.

 

"Don't flatter yourself, dear, I thought you were a student-" she half lied as she rolled her eyes, her attempts at acting like she was repulsed by the blonde quickly becoming more difficult.

 

"Oh, was that it?" Emma challenged slightly, smiling as she watched the woman try and keep up the act that she was seeing right through,

 

"I don't know, it _was_ pretty convenient that you were so close to the locker rooms, I think maybe you wanted to help me with my copies again-" she said quietly as she put her shirt back on, a smug grin plastered on her face as the brunette finally met her gaze, her expression just slightly offended at how true the statement was.

 

"Yes because I'm sure you have so many copies to make about the rules of dodgeball." she sassed as she crossed her arms, moving out of the way as Emma tossed the towel in the basket.

 

"A week ago I would've thought the same thing, but apparently 'physical education' isn't something to be taken lightly." She said with a smile and a roll of her eyes, finding it ridiculous what they required the students to do and learn. When she was in high school, dodgeball was one of the only things they did, but now she had to teach kids push ups and make them run laps. It was ridiculous if you asked her and if she wasn't a new teacher she'd be bending more rules.

 

Regina headed out of the locker rooms slowly, listening to Emma and giving her all of her attention, even if she seemed to be giving her the cold shoulder. Though Emma was obviously a flirt, she wondered if they could end up becoming good friends. Regina was acquainted with some of her coworkers, but other than that, she didn't have many friends, and she decided that was a good excuse to tell herself if she ever caught herself thinking about one Miss Swan.

 

"So you  _were_ making copies.." she said with a smirk as she followed Regina into the small room, watching as she went to grab the copies that were finished and cooled. Regina just smiled to herself once she was sure her back was to the blonde, not able to help but find the whole situation amusing now that the initial shock had faded. 

 

Turning back around she noticed goosebumps covering the blondes bare skin, and she watched as she shivered involuntarily once, sighing before standing taller, already regretting what she was about to say, 

 

"I have an extra top in my classroom, I can't really help with your denim, however-" she muttered, avoiding her gaze once more, knowing Emma probably had a stupid smirk on her face that she couldn't look at without blushing for reasons she was too stubborn to admit.

 

"You'd trust me to take care of one of your fancy shirts?" she teased as she followed Regina down the hall, daring to get closer and tug on the fabric of the button down she wore that day, having to stop herself from laughing when she quite literally pulled away from her and created more distance between them.

 

"It's my spare, and I'd allow you to return it in the pristine condition that it is now." Regina said with a slightly joking tone, knowing she came off as uptight and proper but in all reality, she was almost a completely different person at home. Sure, she still liked things to be neat and clean, but sweatpants and tee shirts weren't foreign when it came to her wardrobe.

 

"This is your spare..?" The blonde teased when Regina handed her the folded button up white shirt that was just about as crisp as it could get. 

 

"Yes, it's my spare-" she started before turning around to see Emma already stripping, causing her to become flustered all over again.

 

"The windows are wide open are you crazy?" she whisper yelled at her as she went to close the door and close the blinds, by the time she was finished Emma already had the dry shirt on.

 

"I don't know do you like crazy?" Emma teased as she moved closer to her before she could finish with the blinds, causing her to be trapped once she had turned around again, the brunette's breath catching in her throat. 

 

Regina watched as Emma stayed close, not able to help but glance down at her lips before clearing her throat and wiggling away, walking over to gather her things, not even able to answer the bold question without embarrassing herself further, deciding the sooner she left the building the better.

 

Emma watched as Regina glanced down at her lips, suddenly really wishing she hadn't decided to go after someone so difficult and stubborn, but before she could even think about kissing the seemingly uninterested woman she was gone, leaving Emma to be the flustered one for once. Regina noticed, and though she didn't recognize it as much, the tension in the room could be cut with a knife and the once talkative blonde wasn't saying much anymore.

 

Once Regina had gathered all of her things, she looked over at Emma who was obviously growing uncomfortable in her wet skinny jeans and she knew she was either too polite or too annoying to leave without walking out with her, so she hurried up and headed to the door.

 

"C'mon Swan I don't have all day-" she teased with a faint smile, listening to the blonde catch up with her as they headed back towards the gym, both of them slowly making their way out of the school, only a few simple goodbyes leaving their lips before getting into their cars, both of them left with their thoughts that nearly clouded their minds during the drive home.

 


	3. Ruby Lucas (pt. 1)

When Emma told Regina that she would see her on Monday, they both fully expected that it would be the next time they saw each other, but the universe apparently had other plans...

 

"No, Ruby, I told you I have to get groceries and get lesson plans ready." Regina said with a sigh as she held the phone between her shoulder and her ear, folding the towels neatly.

 

"Awe, you're no fun. You were more fun when you started teaching.." she commented through the phone as she looked through her closet for something to wear. Ruby met Regina through her grandmother, who worked at the same school until she retired. Regina was fresh out of college and more free spirited, but as much as she knew she wouldn't admit it, working with kids was stressing her out and making her more uptight. Not to mention the obvious and that was that she hadn't been in a relationship since college and wasn't the type to 'hit it and quit it'.

 

When they first met, Ruby wouldn't deny the fact that she was tempted to ask Regina out, but at the time she was just getting out of a relationship with a man, and Regina was way too gorgeous for her to pine after if she didn't have a chance. 

 

"That's not fair, I was young and careless. I'm getting too old to go out, it's a miracle if I can stay up past midnight anymore." She said with a small laugh, carrying the towels to be put away. 

 

Ruby just sighed. She knew Regina needed a girls night and recently she'd been talking about nothing but school it seemed. Though Regina was only a teacher she was a workaholic at heart and whenever she was stressed she used it as a coping mechanism. She didn't know what was so different this year that had gotten her so worked up but she was going to get to the bottom of it.

 

"It was three years ago, you act like it's been ages. Plus, it's just a sports bar, Gina, it's hardly going out." Ruby argued, determined to get Regina out of the house to socialize or at least catch up to see how things were going with the new school year. 

 

Regina placed a hand on her hip as she kept the phone pressed to her ear, letting out another sigh, knowing it was ridiculous to be thinking about the blonde gym teacher when talking with who she'd consider her 'best' friend, but this had been happening all day. When she got up to take a shower she couldn't stop thinking about the locker room incident, and when she went to do laundry she thought about the shirt she had lent her. She figured she was going crazy at this point and she knew if she didn't go out with Ruby, she'd end up drinking alone, and that was something she'd done enough times to know it wasn't as fun as it sounded.

 

"Okay, fine." She caved, knowing Ruby wasn't going to give up and hearing the squeal coming from the other line, she figured it might be nice to catch up after two months, not even realizing they'd hardly said a word in that long. 

 

"Yay! Be there at eight, okay? And wear something sexy, if I see you walk through the door in a pantsuit I'm driving your ass back home and putting you in  _my_ clothes." She threatened and teased with a smile, knowing the brunette was probably rolling her eyes.

 

"I'll wear what I want, Miss Lucas, and if I show up in sweats you'll just have to deal with it." She teased back fondly. She always felt comfortable with Ruby, not knowing why or how they became such good friends but she was really the only friend she had, and at the end of the day, she was thankful she was in her life.

 

"I love it when you get all bossy" Ruby concluded with a smile, saying her last goodbyes before hanging up and getting back to picking her outfit. Though Ruby assumed Regina was straight when she first met her, the more she got to know her the more she felt like maybe she wasn't. She had no proof, of course, and it was normal to develop a little crush on the 'pretty straight girl', but she couldn't ignore the fact that not once has she seen Regina comment on how attractive another man was. She has, however, caught her staring at not only her, but other women whenever they go out, and part of her wondered if this was why she was closing herself off...

 

"Ruby there's no parking, it's a sign. I should just go back home." Regina said into the phone, making a face at her own sorry excuse before pulling into a parking spot in the far corner of the lot.

 

"No, I've already ordered drinks, I'm coming out to find you-" Ruby said quickly into the phone before she could respond, making her way out of the bar to wait for the brunette. She was wearing a rather short and tight dress herself, her makeup a bit heavy but her look was normal to anyone who knew her. She was never one for 'subtle'.

 

Regina huffed as she looked in the mirror one last time, fixing her hair and trying to pull her dress down a bit. She had plenty of work appropriate skirts and dresses, but she did have the rare 'going out' dress like the extremely short black one she had on and for some reason she decided to wear it to a sports bar. The minute she saw Ruby and the expression on her face, she felt self conscious.

 

"It's too much, I'll just go home and change, I don't know why I even considered this-" she mumbled as she tried to pull down the fabric, tucking a piece of her styled hair behind her ear,

 

"Absolutely not, I'm not letting you change, you look amazing, now c'mon before you change your mind again-" Ruby insisted seriously as she grabbed her arm gently and led her inside before walking with her to where she was seated. 

 

Regina took the drink Ruby had ordered her and took a decent gulp almost instantly, not even noticing Ruby's curious expression when she did. She didn't care though, she had to clear her head and loosen up if it was the last thing she did, she wasn't going to be able to last the year if she didn't pull herself together.

 

She fidgeted in her seat as she tried to keep covered, not knowing whether to cross her legs or not, feeling like she was practically flashing the entire room. Ruby was only sipping her drink now, checking out anyone with legs that came in as she waited for Regina to either spark conversation or do the same, but they both knew the latter wasn't plausible.

 

The thing Regina loved and hated about Ruby was how much space she gave her. Ruby respected the fact that not everyone liked sharing all of their secrets all the time, and Regina had even told she that she felt comfortable talking to her about things, so she'd backed off for the most part, only pressing when it was absolutely necessary. 

 

Though Regina felt this was one of those necessary times, she couldn't bring herself to mention it, and after finishing her first drink while Ruby started on her second, she excused herself to the bathroom, insisting she went alone, needing a few moments to give herself some sort of pep talk or she might quite literally explode.

 

Ruby wasn't drunk yet, not even close, so she could tell Regina going to the bathroom was just an excuse for something else. She had given her some time to get something off her chest, but whatever it was, it was taking longer to come to the surface than most things did, so she was worried to say the least.

 

While Regina was taking her time in the restroom, she heard a yell and glanced over to see a blonde who was obviously upset about something that had happened on the TV. Though Ruby didn't like sports or know anything about them, she enjoyed coming to sports bars because it led her to women who did.

 

Glancing in the direction of the bathroom, she counted to five before deciding to take one last drink of her martini and she stood, adjusting her dress and hair before walking in the direction of the blonde slowly.

 

It didn't take but five steps before the blonde was looking in her direction and she just smiled, watching the woman look her up and down before taking a swig of her beer and turning ever so slightly on her bar stool.

 

"Bad game, huh?" Ruby said softly with a small pout as she got closer, looking around for a seat innocently before meeting the blondes gaze, her green eyes darker than when she first approached her, causing her stomach to turn in excitement. 

 

"Nothing we can't recover from.." the blonde said with a smile, licking over her lips before glancing around similarly to how Ruby had, 

 

"I'd offer you a seat but Saturday's get pretty busy.." she said with a hinge of sadness in her voice, watching as Ruby only got closer, not seeming disappointed in the slightest. She watched cautiously as the brunette moved into her personal space, slowly moving her hands to her shoulders and then around her neck before gently sitting sideways on her lap,

 

"We could always share..?" Ruby suggested with another innocent smile that she found way more endearing with the amount of alcohol running through her veins, typically finding the 'dumb blonde' façade repulsive...

 

"You can do this, just be vague, you can talk to her, she's your friend." Regina repeated to herself as she headed back to talk to Ruby, her eyebrows furrowing when Ruby was no where to be found. She went a bit pale and swallowed thickly, quickly starting to make a round of the bar to look for her, her mind going to the worst possibilities first. Drugs, kidnapping, trafficking, theft. All of the worst things to happen, those were the scenarios running through her head.

 

She felt sick thinking about them, and when she finally found Ruby unharmed, she assumed it would make her feel better, but if it was possible, it actually made her feel worse,

 

"Emma??"


	4. Ruby Lucas (pt. 2)

"Yes!" Emma cheered at the television, taking a swig of beer and smiling as she kept an arm wrapped around Ruby, the brunette's hand obviously trying to make their way to other parts of her body. Though she typically would've been rather impatient, especially considering how persistent and enthusiastic Ruby seemed, something pulled her out of her trance, and that something was no other than Regina Mills.

 

Hearing her name she turned her head, her jaw nearly dropping when she saw the woman, practically shoving what's her face off of her lap and walking over to her quickly,

 

"Oh my god what are you doing here?" she asked, pleasantly surprised to see the woman somewhere like here, and dressed like she was nonetheless.

 

"Wait, you two know each other..?" Ruby cut in after brushing herself off, her arms crossed and her hip cocked as she watched Emma act like Regina was the only person in the room.

 

Regina tried not to, but she couldn't help but blush, pulling her dress down as she avoided eye contact from the both of them, knowing this night couldn't possibly get any worse.

 

"Emma is the new physical education teacher, and Ruby just so happens to be Ms. Lucas' granddaughter." She explained awkwardly, watching as Ruby analyzed the situation, looking as if she had this look of knowing on her face, almost of realization as she just smiled. Emma on the other hand nodded and smiled, seemingly unaffected by the news, her eyes not having left Regina since she got her attention. 

 

"You look really good." Emma said in almost a whisper, her normal teasing and cocky tone turning almost sincere, almost. Regina breathed in before sighing hesitantly, nodding once and sending her a small smile,

 

"Thank you." she said softly, not even realizing that she was now looking the blonde up and down as well, not knowing why however, the blonde's wardrobe was not very versatile.

 

Ruby watched them interact from where she stood in awe. She hadn't seen Regina like this with anyone in the three years she had known her. Though they had their fun when they wanted, not once had she seen Regina's eyes practically light up like they were. 

 

She was sure now that this was why Regina had been acting like she was, and she almost laughed at the irony, knowing this was probably what the brunette was trying to find the courage to mention to her. Before Regina could realize what was going on or think about what Ruby and Emma were doing before she arrived, she made her presence known.

 

"I'm going to go grab another drink" she said to Regina with a small smile, trying to hide her smirk as she quickly headed to the bar, Regina stood with her mouth open like she wanted to protest. Thankfully Ruby was already gone, though, and Emma had already taken her hand in hers,

 

"C'mon, the game's just getting good-" she said with a smile, licking over her lips slightly and watching as Regina pulled her hand away,

 

"I don't involve myself in things as trivial as  _sports_ Miss Swan." She said seriously, annoyed beyond belief that Ruby had just left her with Emma, knowing between the alcohol and the atmosphere, things could go terribly wrong. Emma only raised her eyebrows and smiled at her response, her eyes raking over her appearance even more now, that impatience starting to kick in.

 

"This isn't a formal meeting, you can call me Emma-" she teased, trying for her hand again but this time she didn't pull it away. She led Regina over towards where she was sat, grabbing her beer and finishing it before looking over to Regina who stood with her arms crossed, face twisted in disgust. She let out a small laugh and shook her head,

 

"Something wrong,  _Miss Mills_..?" she taunted with a smirk, having to stop herself from pulling the brunette into her lap as Regina simply rolled her eyes.

 

"I don't know why I'm surprised at your choice of drink.." she stated as she sat in a free seat next to Emma now, sitting taller and avoiding eye contact, trying to keep herself in check, but she wasn't sobering up as fast as she would've liked.

 

"Yeah, I knew I should've gone with straight vodka-" she joked and shook her head before smiling and looking over at Regina who was trying desperately not to smile,

 

"I don't normally do anything straight though." She said with a shrug, acting casual as she watched Regina nearly choke on the water she'd ordered just moments ago. Emma didn't even hold back a laugh as she stood and patted her back a bit.

 

"You good?" She asked once she'd stopped, the smug smile still on her face as Regina sipped her water and glared over at her in annoyance, a dark blush on her cheeks as she took a deep breath. 

 

"I'm fine." she said with a sharpness that Emma didn't expect. She looked at her for a moment and just sighed before nodding, looking up to see that the game was over now, and they'd lost. Great.

 

"I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back." The blonde said solemnly, Regina having a moment of deja vu. Out of all possible scenarios, Regina never saw Emma as a sad drunk, but if she was sober she'd realize that she was coming across as a bitch and that the alcohol wasn't the problem, she was.

 

Of course she'd have to wait until tomorrow for that revelation though, not to mention the fact that Ruby had left only a few minutes ago with a red head without a word. Standing hardly seconds after Emma left she went to find Ruby, opening the text from her friend when she couldn't find her, huffing and looking around, not enjoying the stares she was getting from the sleazy drunk men around her.

 

"Hey there sweet cheeks" said an older man followed by an ass grab that Regina swatted away instantly, her anger obviously not getting through his thick skull.

 

She went to walk away, but that didn't stop him from following, and she desperately tried pulling her dress down but that only seemed to encourage his perverted behavior, starting to get more handsy and Regina wasn't able to just shoo him off like she had hoped,

 

"Hey, leave her alone." said a voice coming from behind them, Regina's head whipping to see Emma who did  _not_ look happy. She swallowed thickly, knowing Emma was probably the type to get into a fight, and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to get hurt,

 

"It's alright, I was just leaving anyway." She muttered and tried to meet the blonde's gaze but her dark green eyes were too focused on the man who just smirked, finding it amusing that Emma was getting so worked up. Seeing that Emma's hands were still in fists she huffed and rolled her eyes, quickly grabbing her wrist and leading her to the door, slowly but surely feeling her relax under her grip as they walked out into the cool night air.

 

"I was going to get a cab, if you wanted to share.." Regina said after a few moments of awkward silence, the air outside easier to breathe but the tension between them only growing by the second.

 

"Are you sure..?" Emma asked, wondering what had suddenly changed as she watched Regina go on her phone to get a cab or an Uber.

 

"It's already done." She said with a small smile as she tucked her phone away, crossing her arms as a gust of wind chilled her bare legs. Emma noticed and quickly led the woman to the side of the building where the wind wouldn't hit them, using her body to shield the brunette from the cool air.

 

Regina didn't even protest as she pressed her own body up against brick, trying not to make eye contact as they waited for their ride, not knowing if she was going to be able to last being in a car with her for that long, starting to wonder if she'd be able to last the wait with the wind blowing relentlessly.

 

Emma let out a laugh and rolled her eyes, causing Regina to finally meet her gaze with a confused expression, watching as Emma took off her leather jacket and moved to drape it over her shoulders,

 

"You're freezing. I'm not complaining about the dress but it wasn't the best decision you've ever made." she teased quietly, watching as the brunette hugged the fabric close, sighing in relief at the warm jacket.

 

"Thank you for bailing me out back there..." she said just as quietly, looking in her eyes now as she tried to tell her heart to calm down, if it was any faster she was sure Emma would've been able to hear it. The blonde just shrugged and smiled a bit, not seeming to notice.

 

"No one should treat a woman like that, if he were younger he would've gotten a fist to the face." she said seriously, her jaw clenching as she thought back to the moment that was still fresh in her mind. Regina watched Emma and blamed the alcohol for her next movements. Her hand moved up to cup her face, a thumb running over her tense jawline until it relaxed, green orbs meeting her own wide eyes. 

 

Without another second to regret her actions, Regina moved forward and pressed her lips to Emma's in a soft and hesitant kiss, pulling away a bit after no longer than a second.

 

Emma looked at her in shock, her own heart beating out of her chest now as she looked into deep brown eyes, trying to read them while catching her breath.

 

Before she could form a coherent thought, Regina's lips were on hers once more and this time she couldn't help but melt into the kiss, moving one hand against the wall as she felt Regina wrap her arms around her neck, small hands tangling into blonde curls.

 

She moved her hands to Regina's tiny waist after a moment and pressed them back against the wall, her hands not hesitating to move down her back.

 

Regina felt dizzy, not knowing what to grab onto between the blonde locks that fell down her back and the tight shirt that clung to Emma's toned back and shoulders, finally deciding on her hair as she followed her actions and let her back hit the brick. 

 

Emma so badly wanted to just go back to her own car with Regina right then and there, but just as she was about to come up for air, there was a car horn that beeped and sent them both jumping back away from each other, leaving the two of them flustered and attempting to fix their appearance as they awkwardly headed to the impatiently waiting cab...


	5. Taxi Cab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of a filler than a chapter.

Regina kept her gaze down as she watched where she stepped, glancing up occasionally and watching as Emma walked around to the other side of the car, hopping in just a moment after Regina had.

 

The driver seemed to be the typical foreign man that didn't know a word of English and didn't seem interested in either of the women or their endeavors, and for that Regina was grateful, she wasn't in the mood for socializing.

 

Though they were sharing the cab, Regina had made it so that Emma was dropped off first, even if it was out of the way, for some reason still thinking she'd be able to last the ride when she paid. Granted she didn't foresee the events that had occurred that night in the slightest, but thinking clearly wasn't something she was good at when with the blonde who insisted on bouncing her leg next to her.

 

She was about to say something, her attention apparently watching something very interesting out her window, but just as she was, the blonde seemed to have a similar thought and her leg stopped as she turned to look at Regina, the both of them opening their mouths to speak but stopping when they saw the other.

 

They both looked away awkwardly, their eyes wandering around the inside of the car for a few moments before the silence became longer, Emma's leg starting to bounce once more. 

 

Regina tried ignoring it, she did, but the blonde lived farther away than anticipated with the traffic, and she was becoming irritable between the sounds and movements of her leg and the rank smell of the cab.

 

The car slowed to a stop, and the red light glared into the windows while the world seemed to stop for a moment. That was until a certain denim clad leg started bouncing in full swing and Regina huffed audibly, her hand jutting out to place a firm hand on her thigh, not realizing what was happening until it was too late.

 

Emma froze, not expecting there to be another word or action between them the rest of the night, and now Emma was just short of blacking out as she looked over at Regina hesitantly who seemed just as surprised as she was.

 

Regina swallowed the lump in her throat as she felt Emma's thigh stay tense under her touch, suddenly realizing that she had no escape plan. Somewhere in her mind, she decided it would be a good idea to look up, her gaze meeting dark emerald eyes that looked almost desperate for her to do or say something, and it suddenly hit her how something as simple as a touch gave her so much power over Emma who was typically annoyingly overbearing.

 

Emma counted to ten in her head. If she counted she had time to think, or at least time to postpone her stupid actions, her next being the almost bruising kiss that she laid on Regina's lips, the brunette nearly falling back on the seat causing the blondes jacket to fall off of her shoulders before Emma even got to 8.

 

She wrapped a protective arm around her torso, her other arm moving to her hip as she tried to focus on not passing out. Emma had been with, well, a few too many women in her life for her age, and none of them made her feel like Regina did. Yet for some reason she couldn't shake this gut feeling that Regina might actually be straight.

 

A soft moan escaped Regina's lips as she wrapped her arms around her neck and pressed her body closer to hers, feeling Emma smirk into the kiss. Okay, maybe she wasn't straight.

 

Just as Emma's hand started traveling up Regina's thigh, it stopped. The car halted to a stop and parked as the man waited for Emma to get out, the blonde already missing the feeling of the smooth olive skin under her touch and the way her lips felt on hers.

 

Both of them pulled away hesitantly, panting as they looked away from each other, neither of them knowing what to say, obviously having more success with physical interaction than verbal communication. It wasn't until the driver cleared his throat impatiently that Emma sucked in a breath, looking over at Regina who hesitantly met her gaze. 

 

They just looked at each other for a moment, and it didn't last too long before it got awkward and Regina went to reach for the blonde's jacket but she was cut off by Emma starting to get out of the cab, a look on her face that made her slow her movements.

 

She hesitantly put it back over her shoulders to dull the chill when the door opened, and Emma looked to her one last time before heading down the sidewalk and towards her apartment,

 

"Emma?" Regina called out, trying not to laugh as the blonde nearly tripped to turn back around to look at her, Regina holding the door open just enough to see the blonde, her gaze falling as she finally let out a laugh, slowly looking back up to she Emma waiting so patiently she was sure the woman was ill,

 

"See you on Monday."


	6. Lesson 1: Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina centric. Another filler like chapter necessary for the plot.

Regina groaned as she got out of bed, looking down to see that she had fallen asleep in her dress and it ended up riding up to her stomach. She sat up slowly, her head spinning slightly as she looked to see one of her heels by her bed and the other by the door, starting to remember the previous night's events. Fortunately, she didn't drink too much so she only needed to hydrate and she'd be fine to go about her day, but Emma on the other hand couldn't remember how many bottles she went through to save her life.

 

Rolling over to her side to glance at the clock, Emma sighed, too tired to even let out an annoyed groan when she read the time, '1:53'. It wasn't unusual for the blonde to sleep in, but even she knew that this was ridiculous, and she had to get up if she was going to survive the following Monday. Heading to the bathroom, she moved on her tip toes in attempt to soften her steps, her head pounding. Emma had experienced a number of hangovers even before college but this one came with something they usually didn't, regret.

 

It was a strange feeling. She didn't regret something that had happened, like people usually did, but rather something she didn't. She could've said something, she could've invited her in, she could've asked her what any of it meant, but she didn't, and now she was beating herself up over it.

 

Though it wasn't the most memorable part of the night, Emma couldn't stop thinking about Ruby. It was strange that Regina was friends with the granddaughter of the woman who's job she just took over, and it was even more unusual how different she was from Regina. Ruby was so forward and obviously interested while Regina played so hard to get she questioned the woman's sexuality. Snapping out of it, she turned on the warm water, and decided to take a shower to attempt to calm down and clear her head, wondering what Regina was thinking right now...

 

Just as she was finishing with the dishes, Regina got a text that made her jump slightly, sighing when she saw it was only Ruby wanting her to call her. She knew it was probably to get Emma's number or apologize for leaving without saying goodbye, but with a deep breath she pressed her contact, knowing she wasn't going to like this conversation.

 

"Hello, Ms. Lucas." Regina said softly, her tone not harsh but it wasn't quite gentle. She almost felt numb, like she was void of emotion, and Ruby didn't know any world in which she would be able to get her to open up.

 

"Gina, what happened." she said as more of a demand than a question, knowing her leaving couldn't have done this and now she worried that something awful might've happened, completely clueless to how Regina felt the same way last night at the bar, making the whole situation ironic and almost amusing. Almost.

 

"Ruby what on earth are you talking about?" she asked with a small huff, listening to Ruby sigh on the other line.

 

"Regina you haven't but this closed off since I first met you, now c'mon, did something happen? I just need to make sure you're okay, and if you can't convince me or tell me the truth I'm coming over, don't think I won't-" she rambled before she was cut off by Regina who seemed to go off like a bomb,

 

"I'm fine!" she yelled as she practically slammed a hand down onto the counter, groaning as she went to hold her head that started to hurt, letting out a sigh and closing her eyes, 

 

"I'm sorry, I'm fine.." she said quietly, swallowing quickly as she realized how screwed up she had let herself get. She'd been ignoring not only her feelings but her own mental health for way too long, and now it was coming to bite her in the butt.

 

"Regina I'm coming over." Ruby decided through the phone, but Regina needed to be alone right now.

 

"No!" she said as she heard her stop from moving any farther, 

 

"You, don't need to do that... I know I haven't been very honest with you, and for that I apologize, but I just need a little more time. I promise I'll come to you when I'm ready.." she said quietly, just saying those words out loud making her feel nauseous, not knowing if she'd ever be ready to admit something she couldn't accept.

 

Ruby knew she was struggling, so though it might not have seemed like a lot, she knew this was a step in the right direction, and she was just glad she felt like she could be open with her. With a small smile and a content sigh she finally responded,

 

"Just keep me updated?" she asked hopefully, relieved at Regina's more relaxed tone,

 

"Of course." she said with a faint smile, saying her goodbyes before hanging up and going to plop on the couch. Now that was over with, but she knew the next day at school wasn't going to be such an easy conversation.


	7. The Weight Room

Monday mornings were never fun, but this Monday morning seemed worse, and it didn't seem to be getting any better. Emma had tried to leave a little earlier than usual so she could get her things ready in attempt to avoid Regina, while Regina waited a little longer so she didn't have down time to accidentally run into a certain blonde gym teacher that was quite literally driving her crazy.

 

Of course with both of them trying to avoid each other, it only made sense that they ran into each other, and similar to the first day they met, it was almost literally. They both pulled up to the school and Emma headed through the parking lot, oblivious to her surroundings like usual.

 

Regina was already parked up in the teachers lot and was getting all of her bags and things together before opening the car door, stopping Emma in her tracks. Before the blonde could run around to the other side of the car they made eye contact, and though Regina didn't consider herself a hormonal person, she felt like bursting into tears right then and there.

 

She didn't know why, though. She wasn't sad or happy or upset, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what she was feeling. She stumbled slightly, trying to carry everything gracefully but as things started to slip she felt a hand on her arm, Emma stopping everything from falling out of her arms. 

 

Frozen in place she looked up to meet her gaze, the two of them a lot closer than before, and she couldn't help but remember exactly how her lips felt, and how her strong arms felt around her. 

 

Snapping out of it, Regina lifted her things and stood tall, letting out a breath as she tried to compose herself. It wasn't like her to stumble or be clumsy at all, so the fact that this one person was able to throw her off her game just by being around was something Regina couldn't ignore anymore. As much as she wanted to just push Emma away and focus on her career, this wasn't as easy as ignoring people in the past, it was more exhausting trying to ignore her feelings than it was to act on them.

 

"Thank you." Regina said softly with a nod, ignoring eye contact as she let out another breath, the both of them standing there and waiting for the other to say or do something. Surprisingly, Regina was the first to break the ice, and she cleared her throat before speaking,

 

"I should get inside, I have a few students that like to be early." she said quietly before closing the car door and pressing the lock button on her keys, slowly turning and heading towards the building.

 

Emma couldn't say anything, she knew if she tried she'd lash out. She wasn't an angry person, and she wasn't upset with Regina, but she was always so sure of herself and where she stood with other people due to her forward nature. With Regina though, it was like reading Chinese upside down and it drove her crazy.

 

So, as she watched her walk into the building, heels clicking on the concrete, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before making her way to the gym, knowing it was probably going to be a long day.

 

First period was agonizingly slow, but second period seemed to move faster and by lunch it seemed like they both might get through the day without thinking twice about it, but the last period decided to drag on again as they both started thinking about what to do once the students were all gone. 

 

They could stay after and get work done, they could go home immediately, they could stay after just for a bit and then leave. After this mornings events, though, neither of them knew when to leave, not wanting an awkward repeat.

 

Like any other time, Regina decided to work to deal with her stress, and as she made lesson plans, she didn't even realize how far ahead of herself she was getting.

 

Emma, being the gym teacher, didn't have much planning to do regardless, but seeing that it was Monday, the weight rooms would be free for a few hours, and predicting that she'd want to take advantage of the equipment, and wanting to prevent from having to borrow clothing from another teacher again, she brought her own change of clothes.

 

Not even a half an hour after school had let out, Emma was in the weight room, already changed into shorts and a sports bra, her hair in a high pony as she finished stretching, going to warm up with some push ups and sit ups, needing some way to get out all of this frustration that she had no idea what to do with.

 

Regina had been working for about an hour non stop, and she finally looked at the clock and took off her glasses, placing her face in her hands as she tried to remember any of what she had just done. She was working, but she had been distracted the entire time, and she wouldn't allow herself to go through with something she couldn't even remember. 

 

Standing, she hesitantly got her things together, not particularly wanting to leave, but knowing the blonde was probably gone by now anyway, and she was grateful for a moment that she had another day to figure out how to apologize, or explain herself, or whatever she was going to say. For some stupid reason, before leaving the room, Regina went to look out her window to see Emma's car still in the parking lot, and suddenly her stomach was doing flips.

 

She felt ridiculous. She was acting like her students did when they had a crush, and like her students, she dismissed any other plans she had for the day and went straight to the gym, hoping to find Emma before she left.

 

Covered in sweat, Emma was on the bench press, breathing heavily as she forced herself to keep going before finally letting the metal clang against itself, her arms falling to her sides as she sat up slowly, grabbing her water bottle and chugging the rest of it. She was about to do some weighted squats, still not completely exhausted, when she was interrupted.

 

Regina was nearly panicking at this point. She had checked the teachers lounge, the copier, the locker rooms, and the gym, and she couldn't find the blonde anywhere. She was about to give up, telling herself it wasn't Emma's car, or that she had to get a ride home, but she didn't want leave just yet.

 

It wasn't like Regina to be running around like she was, and just when she thought she'd checked every room in the building, she thought of one that she'd never even been in, but somewhere Emma could very likely be. 

 

Hesitantly, she got closer, not wanting to see the blonde but her body moved without permission, and hearing the loud distinct sound coming from the foreign space, she almost hoped it was only Emma, not wanting to walk in on someone else with no explanation.

 

Not knowing what to expect anyway, Regina was taken aback by the blonde's attire, or lack of. She let out a rather calm but determined breath when Emma turned to see her standing there. Everything after that was a blur.

 

"You shouldn't be in he-" Emma was cut off by soft lips on her own, Regina's hands cupping her face gently at first, but then she wrapped her arms around her neck, almost like she was afraid to let her go. There was a sense of urgency in Regina's movements mixed with an unsure shyness that was out of character to say the least.

 

Emma had been trying so hard to get Regina out of her head, but it was like the instant she saw her, she stopped thinking. She didn't have time to be surprised that Regina was suddenly here kissing her like her life depended on it before she nearly stumbled back, her knees giving out as she bumped the bench press and ended up just sitting.

 

Regina didn't waste any time and took advantage of Emma nearly falling over, straddling her waist and letting her knees rest on either side of her on the bench press.

 

By now they both had to pull away for air, nearly gasping as their lips parted. Emma was about to speak, and Regina knew it, but she caught her before she did, shaking her head as she caught her breath,

 

"Please don't say anything yet." she begged softly as their lips grazed lightly, Emma simply nodding as her hands snaked around her waist. 

 

"Okay." Emma breathed, the simple word lighting a fire inside of Regina as she leaned forward, her kiss more rough and impatient, her nails lightly dragging down Emma's toned shoulders and back and then up and down her arms, feeling muscles flex under her touch something she quickly decided she could get used to.

 

The kiss broke once more, and Regina opened her eyes slightly, tilting her head to the side just a bit as she felt lips on her neck, her body acting on it's own but her mind knew that she had to stop this before it got out of hand,

 

"We should stop.." she slurred lowly, her eyes fluttering shut as her hips rolled down slightly, closing any distance between them. Emma chuckled softly at Regina's statement as she continued kissing down her neck, slowing her movements to bite her pulse point softly.

 

"Oh should we?" Emma teased quietly, a sudden moan escaping her lips as she felt Regina pull on her pony tail, causing her head to jerk back slightly.

 

"Yes." Regina mumbled before pressing her lips to hers once more, only pulling away when Emma did, the blondes hands helping Regina to stand before she followed suite, walking towards her bag to create some physical distance. 

 

"As much as I'd,  _love_ , to continue, we need to talk." Emma said from where she stood, watching as Regina fixed her hair and straightened up her blouse, now avoiding eye contact.

 

"I drank way too much at the bar to be able to think straight, but if I'm being honest I've been trying to figure you out for weeks and whatever,  _this,_ is... it's only making me more confused." Emma said seriously, a certain sternness in her voice that was evident enough to know that Regina hadn't only been affecting her own well being but the well being of other people as well.

 

"I don't even care what this is at this point, I just-" Emma let out a huff as she looked over at Regina who was struggling to focus with Emma sweating an half dressed. She pulled out a hoodie from her bag and slipped it on quickly, going to sit back down,

 

"You've hardly said a dozen words to me since we've met and almost all of them have been to try and get me to go away... and then you do this, do you realize how frustrating that is??" She asked and watched as Regina continued to avoid eye contact, unsure if Regina was just uncomfortable or if she really hadn't realized what she was doing.

 

"Us talking means you have to say something too, y'know." Emma half joked, watching as Regina crossed her arms over her chest and let out a breath. She thought that after her outburst with Ruby she would've been fine, but after so many years she didn't realize how much pent up anger she had left, and she knew Emma didn't deserve the other end of it.

 

"I....don't know, what this is, or what to say-" Regina started softly, knowing she wasn't ready to come clean, but she felt trapped in a corner with no way out.

 

"Well, let me know when you do..." Emma said with a sigh as she threw her bag over her shoulder, looking at her one last time before heading out, neither of them anticipating that this would be their last conversation for nearly another two weeks.


	8. Lesson 2: Coming Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regina centric. The last if not one of the last chapters with Ruby.

Emma didn't mind seeing Regina at school throughout the week, but Regina on the other hand tried to avoid the blonde at all costs. She couldn't see her until she was ready to talk, and though she thought she was ready, she wasn't at all.

 

By the end of that week, Regina was emotionally exhausted, having to avoid the blonde proving to be harder than she thought, and trying not to think of her near impossible. 

 

She was packing up her things, planning to go home immediately, when she heard her name coming from a bubbly voice walking into her classroom,

 

"Regina?" Ruby said with a smile as she walked in the room, watching Regina jump slightly before sighing in relief, letting out a forced laugh,

 

"You frightened me." she commented as she kept a hand over her heart, watching as Ruby rolled her eyes at her proper language.

 

"Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here..?" Regina asked curiously as they headed out of her classroom and towards the parking lot.

 

"Granny fetched me to grab her last paycheck, and I figured I'd swing by to say hey, we haven't talked much since we went out the other night.." she commented casually, watching Regina tense up slightly at the mention of that night. Ruby was naturally a nosy person, so she couldn't help but want to talk, but she tried to give Regina space usually, knowing she needed it. 

 

A sigh escaped the shorter brunette's lips as she continued to walk with Ruby, the stress of the school week leaving and she let the reality of her personal life sink in as they walked through the parking lot.

 

"How about you come over tonight, I'll make dinner and we can catch up properly." Regina suggested with a faint smile, watching as Ruby frowned and looked away from her,

 

"Y'know I don't know, I kind of already made plans.." Ruby said with a sigh, watching as the woman's shoulder's slumped.

 

"O-oh, okay, yes of course." Regina said with a forced smile, trying to hide her disappointment.

 

"Regina I'm joking.." Ruby said quietly with a smile, moving closer as she watched Regina gape at her idea of a joke.

 

"Even if I did have plans I'd never pass up your cooking, you know that." she teased light heartedly, shoving her shoulder with her own a bit before slowly heading towards her own car.

 

"I'll drop this off with Granny and be right over." She shouted out, Regina stood shaking her head as she let out a laugh, glad that even in the midst of everything going on, Ruby was able to cheer her up...

 

"Something smells good!" Ruby shouted as she came in through the front door that Regina had left unlocked for her.

 

"It'll be out in just a few minutes, wine?" she asked her friend with a smile as she grabbed two glasses, knowing that she lived close enough to be okay with a glass or two, but if she was honest she wouldn't be surprised if Ruby ended up staying the night. She knew her friend always had some sort of overnight bag in her trunk in case she had to stay somewhere for whatever reason, most of those reasons having to do with women she'd just met.

 

"Free wine too? Someone's in a good mood." she teased as she held her glass as Regina poured the wine carefully, rolling her eyes as she poured her own,

 

"When have I not been hospitable when inviting you over?" she inquired with a touch of sass, watching as Ruby just shrugged and sipped the beverage.

 

"Never, but you do seem to be in a weird mood." she commented casually, wanting to prod at conversation without blurting it out, knowing it might scare her back into her shell. 

 

Regina wondered if she was being obvious about wanting to talk about something, completely oblivious to the fact that Ruby knew her 'secret'. So she just shrugged, pulling the lasagna out of the oven and setting it on the stove carefully.

 

"It's been a strange week at school, I suppose." she started, trying to stay vague for the time being, wanting to at least get through dinner before thinking about the conversation she was about to initiate...

 

"I am stuffed. That was so good, I love Granny but your lasagna is the best I've ever had, just don't tell her I said that." Ruby said with a small smile, getting up to help with the dishes, hearing Regina follow lazily, both of them having had a few glasses of wine already.

 

"Don't worry, I won't tell her." Regina said with a low laugh that made Ruby smile, the woman's happiness was contagious and anyone who thought otherwise was lying.

 

"I heard they added some new movies on Netflix, anything you wanna watch?" Ruby asked as she went to the couch while Regina finished cleaning up, grabbing the remote and turning on the large television.

 

"Just no horror films, anything else is fine." Regina said as she joined her on the couch, never being very interested in movies or shows...

 

"When did you know, that you were um-" Regina mumbled quietly as the film played in the background, Ruby much more interested in it than Regina would ever be.

 

"Gay?" Ruby finished her question for her with a faint smile, her heart already warming at the fact that Regina trusted her enough to talk to her about this.

 

"I was about 17, for the longest time I just assumed I was straight. Turns out, I'm not, I'm just a flirt." she admitted with a smile and a shrug, not bothered in the slightest.

 

Regina sipped her wine and nodded, letting out a breath as she sat taller, looking away from her for a moment before looking back to Ruby, her body turning towards her.

 

"What did you think of Emma, the woman from the bar?" she asked curiously, watching as Ruby just smirked.

 

"Let's just say, if you hadn't shown up, my plan was to get the hell out of that bar and into her pants." she said bluntly, watching as Regina fidgeted slightly, her cheeks blushing from the statement.

 

"But, you did, and the look she gave her is one I haven't received since my ex." she admitted, watching Regina's reaction closely. Though she tried not to, Regina couldn't help but smile, and she let herself stare off into space for a moment as she thought about the blonde.

 

Snapping out of her thoughts, she met Ruby's gaze and took a breath quickly, just needing to get her advice and be honest, knowing she saw through her anyway.

 

"After the game had ended, she and I, we ended up sharing a cab home.." she started, quickly realizing this information was near useless to tell her.

 

"I had always assumed I was straight." Regina started hesitantly, knowing she was a grown woman but she couldn't help but feel emotional at the fact that she was actually admitting this out loud and to someone else for that matter.

 

"Growing up I imaged myself having children, and having a big white wedding with the dress and a groom.." she continued, letting out a shaky sigh.

 

"But I've never, never felt like this about someone else before." she said quietly, almost not wanting to hear her own words.

 

"I, I don't even know  _what_ I am, but.. honestly I'm terrified." she said and finally met Ruby's soft and understanding gaze. Regina made a sound that resembled a whimper as she curled closer to the couch,

 

"What do I do." she sighed, waiting for Ruby to say something, anything.

 

Ruby knew that this was coming, but what she hadn't predicated was that this would be solely about Emma, and not only that either. Ruby hadn't known Regina for too long, but she didn't have to. It looked the same on everyone for the most part, and it didn't take a genius to recognize someone falling in love.

 

"For once in your life, stop being so stubborn, and let yourself be happy." she said with a small laugh as she turned towards her.

 

"Stop letting yourself overthink everything and just be yourself." she said seriously, knowing it was easier said than done.

 

"But what do I say?" she half whispered, never having been good at expressing how she felt, not having much practice if she was honest. 

 

Ruby just laughed and shook her head a few times, sitting up and looking at Regina for a moment.

 

"I remember that feeling, like if I didn't say the right thing the world would end." Ruby said dramatically and watched as Regina just rolled her eyes.

 

"Why don't you start by asking her on a date..?" she asked in a tone that Regina didn't find as amusing as Ruby had.

 

"You're overthinking everything, that much is obvious, so I'll let you know a little secret. Lesbian and gay dates, are just like straight people dates." she continued to tease and fake gasp, Regina not able to stop from smiling now, looking away to stop from laughing at her ridiculous best friend.

 

"You eat food, try to make conversation, there's usually an awkward pause and an argument over who's paying for what.." she went on and smiled when she saw Regina loosening up.

 

"Tell you what. Wait about a week, if you still feel the same, suggest doing something together next weekend, it'll give you plenty of time to make notecards or whatever you do when you go on a first date." she teased once more, laughing as Regina smacked her arm, rubbing it slightly.

 

"I don't make notecards." she defended, shaking her head as she stood slowly, taking the woman's empty wine glass.

 

"But you're right. I've been so in my head recently that I haven't been able to think straight." she said as she set the glasses in the sink, hearing Ruby enter the kitchen behind her,

 

"That's because you're not straight." she whispered and Regina smiled, not wanting to laugh at the terrible pun but they were both on the verge of being wine drunk and anything the woman said would be funny at this point. She just hoped she found their heart to heart just as amusing when she was sober, not wanting to go retreat into the uptight stressed workaholic version of herself that was miserable all the time. Emma made her happy, and she wasn't going to deny herself happiness anymore.


	9. The Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be posting daily anymore but I will continue to post. Thank you to anyone who has read or given feedback. It not only encourages me to write but inspires ideas, so again, thank you.

Though Emma assumed Regina would just be another that she slowly forgot about after the next came along, working with her made it a little harder than she thought. Even though they hardly ran into each other, it had been nearly two weeks since they spoke and she was starting to get worried. The least she could do was check in instead of ghosting her like this. So, that upcoming Friday, she decided that she was going to say something and if she was feeling brave, she'd ask her out properly, knowing that sitting around and doing nothing wasn't going to help her to get Regina out of her head.

 

The kids had all left for the afternoon and some of the staff was making their way out as well, so Emma knew she had to act fast. She quickly grabbed her things, tossing her backpack over one shoulder before heading to the sophomore English hall, not even realizing that she was chewing on her bottom lip like it was her last meal, it was a bad habit she had thought was gone, but apparently it decided to make a special appearance.

 

Regina let out a huff as she glanced at the clock, after her conversation with Ruby, she was feeling more confident, but she also was a wreck thinking about speaking to Emma, still not able to shake the feeling that she had to say the right thing or the whole world would collapse at her feet. Once she had all of her things together, she decided she better catch Emma before she left.

 

It was now or never, because she was fairly confident that if she didn't say something that she would die. She groaned at her own thoughts, sounding like a dramatic teenager. Taking a deep breath, she stood taller and headed out of her classroom, turning to head to the gym when she ran into a particular blonde causing her to fall backwards, hitting the floor with a small thump. 

 

She groaned as she tried not to think about the pain shooting through her spine, looking up to see Emma struggling to get back to her feet, reaching a hand out to help Regina quickly.

 

"We have to stop meeting like this, dear, I'm not sure how much more my body can take." Regina joked as she stood and stretched out her back, picking up her things before taking a good look at Emma, her gaze moving towards her torso, a smile spreading across her lips.

 

"Nice shirt, wherever did you get it?" she teased and watched Emma let out a laugh, looking down as if she forgot what she was wearing.

 

"There's this really cool English teacher that let me borrow it.." she started with a smile but it started to fade.

 

"-but she hasn't really talked to me in a while, it almost feels like she's avoiding me.." she said softly, looking at her with honest eyes.

 

Regina took a deep breath and hesitated before letting it go, nodding and looking away, knowing she should've seen that coming.

 

"I told you that I wasn't ready to talk.. and I wasn't, not then, but, I am now. So if you're not too upset with me, maybe I could make it up to you. I could cook, provide wine, all you have to do is show up." she said with a small smile, her tone almost sounding like she was negotiating. Of course this wasn't a negotiation though, this was obviously a date, and Regina just hoped that Emma would say yes, knowing this would be completely embarrassing if she said no.

 

Emma stood there a bit shocked, not expecting this at all, but even if she had a bad feeling about this, she disregarded it, seeing some truth behind Regina's words. She hid her emotions though, it was something she was good at usually, and she just nodded in understanding before speaking once Regina had finished.

 

"I'll be there at seven." she said with a smile, watching as Regina half panicked, confused at what was actually happening, not expecting for her to want to do this tonight, and the blonde hadn't even asked if she was busy, did she even have her address? 

 

In the midst of Regina's mind whirring Emma had moved closer, heading to walk past her with a look in her eyes that made Regina lose her track of thought all over again...

 

Regina was a mess. She had texted her address to Emma and was trying to figure out what to prepare, not having a clue what she liked or what she was allergic to. She hadn't been to the grocery since she made lasagna last, so unfortunately her specialty was out of the question, so she figured she'd go with something simple. She made grilled chicken and rice along with a salad. Deciding that the meal was a little bland, she decided to make a couple apple turnovers, figuring if everything else failed, she'd have this to fall back on.

 

Once everything was decided and heating up, she went upstairs to shower and get dressed, not having any clue as to what to wear. Due to it being her own house, she just wore something she'd wear to work or to the store, which for her was a black pencil skirt and a white blouse alone with some simple heels. Ironically, she preferred wearing shoes in her own home. Most of it was hardwood and going barefoot seemed less sanitary.

 

Emma smiled as she got to her car, letting out a breath finally as she thought about what to do. She had until seven but that felt like eternity when the clock read '3:06'. She decided to go home and grab a light snack. She didn't know what Regina would make so she needed to save her appetite, but she was constantly eating and needed something to hold her off until then.

 

Emma's wardrobe, unlike Regina's, was pretty limited. She had a collection of leather jackets along with jeans, tee shirts, and boots, but other than that her options were slim. She had her nicer outfits for things like interviews, funerals, weddings, that sort of thing, but her 'date' attire didn't really exist. Figuring this was all Regina ever saw her wear, she figured she'd just put on a nice button up shirt that was her own.

 

She figured she had time to wash Regina's shirt so she could return it, so she threw it in the wash on gentle before heading to take a shower, taking her time for the first time in months. She didn't bother too much with appearance, and having to wear pants for work made it so that she hardly even shaved her legs, but as she hopped out of the shower, she grabbed a little lotion and spritzed herself with a bit of cologne.

 

Time got away from the both of them and suddenly it was quarter to. Emma cursed under her breath and hurried out to her car, putting the address in her gps and speeding faster than she probably should've. Though she was known to be late to things, she didn't want to be late for this, she wanted to at least try to be on time.

 

By the time it turned seven, Regina was in the kitchen looking flawless, plating the chicken and rice and tossing the salad when she heard the doorbell ring. Her heart nearly stopped and she swallowed thickly as she fixed her hair, scurrying out of the kitchen and tossing the towel on the counter before unlocking the door and opening it, their eyes meeting and the air already thickening around them.

 

"Dinner is nearly finished, come on in." she said with a small smile, watching as Emma took small steps, looking around the house curiously, out of all the scenarios Regina played out in her head, Emma being in awe by her home wasn't one of them.

 

Once Emma was finished admiring the interior of Regina's house, her nose snapped her out of her trance and she slowly followed Regina back to the kitchen. She was curious as to what she would make, but she smiled when she saw what she decided on, it made so much sense it almost hurt. Regina was such a worry wart that she went with something so easy a child could make it, but Emma wasn't complaining, she couldn't cook and hadn't had a real meal in months.

 

Her eyebrows furrowed when she smelled something else, looking around as if to figure out what it was,

 

"Is that, um, what is that smell? Apples..?" she guessed curiously, watching as Regina just nodded.

 

"Apple turnovers, family recipe." she teased slightly as she led Emma to the dining room table, pouring the wine before sitting down, having to admit that she was getting rather hungry as well.

 

"I hope this can at least let you know how sorry I am for practically ignoring you for so long. I've never done that in my life, I don't know what came over me." Regina said with a sigh as she carefully cut her chicken, watching as Emma started eating a little less gracefully.

 

"Regina, it's okay.. okay?" she said with a smile, watching her fondly as she took her first bite, nearly moaning.

 

"What did you season this with? You know what, I don't even need to know, this is amazing, apology accepted." she rambled slightly as she continued to eat, Regina watching in amusement from across the table, taking her first bite gently before sipping her wine.

 

"Do you always present yourself with terrible table manners?" Regina teased as she continued to eat, watching as Emma looked up at her in disbelief.

 

"I don't have terrible manners!" she defended with a smile, grabbing the napkin and wiping her mouth.

 

"See, I'm polite." she said in exaggeration, watching as Regina literally rolled her eyes, and she couldn't tell if the brunette was that disgusted with her or if she naturally came off like that. She figured it was the latter just judging by their previous encounters.

 

"So... what changed?" Emma suddenly asked, already finished with her chicken and rice, barely having touched her salad but she was more focused on her wine now. Regina finished her bite before taking a breath, not knowing how to go about this conversation without it sounding as ridiculous as it was.

 

"I realized how silly it was to punish myself for something I can't control.." she started, pushing her food around as she watching Emma listen and react to her words.

 

"-it was too exhausting trying to keep up with what I should and shouldn't do.. so for some reason I decided that I'd enjoy having you over, but I didn't exactly expect it to be tonight, hence the chicken and rice." she said with a small laugh, watching as Emma just sat there and smiled back.

 

"It was delicious, really, you didn't have to cook I would've been happy with take out." she said honestly, taking another sip of her wine.

 

"Plus, even if it was bad, I'm sure dessert will make up for it." she said with a shrug, watching as Regina went to stand carefully.

 

"I almost forgot to turnovers!" she said as she went to take Emma's plate along with her own. Emma just leaned back in her chair, taking a final sip of her wine before smirking,

 

"I wasn't talking about the turnovers." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will most likely be smut. You've been warned.


	10. Dessert (pt.1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina starts feeling more like herself again and Emma is caught off guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sex.

Regina takes the plates to the kitchen, her steps stuttering at Emma's words, clearing her throat as she quickly rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. She had hardly had enough food but Emma was a quick eater, and she didn't want to be rude, so she scraped whatever she could salvage into a container to save for later.

 

Not minutes went by before she heard Emma enter the kitchen, and she dried her hands before finishing her glass of wine that Emma had brought with her, setting the glass in the sink before leaning back against it, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

Emma had already made her way to the farthest bar stool, setting her empty glass down as she watched Regina look at her. The tension in the air was thicker than moments ago and it was only growing, and the both of them knew it.

 

"Have any room for dessert?" Regina asked with a faint smile, trying to hide her smirk seeing Emma failing to stop looking at her chest. She had very clearly heard the blonde's comment, but she wasn't going to just act like every little thing Emma said was going to make her blush and forget how to speak. That might've been how she was acting the past few weeks as she came to terms with herself, but she wasn't like that, and she wanted Emma to know that.

 

"Well I don't know, what's on the menu?" Emma asked lowly with a smirk as she stood, walking closer to Regina only to be cut off by the brunette standing her ground and answering her question quite literally.

 

"Apple turnovers, have you forgotten that quickly?" she inquired with a small smile, her confidence and sass resurfacing in full force. She watched as Emma scoffed slightly, shaking her head slowly and slowly taking another step closer, Regina's arms still refusing to uncross.

 

"I didn't forget, I just-"

 

"You just..? Forgot?" Regina cut her off before slowly turning on her heels to head out of the kitchen, a strong hand grabbing her arms and stopping her in her tracks.

 

"Yes Miss Swan?" she said in fake annoyance, turning once more to see Emma struggling between finding Regina's attitude adorable and annoying. Regina just let out a laugh, glancing down as she fixed her hair before meeting her gaze once more, taking a few steps closer to the blonde who didn't seem herself, much like Regina had felt for the past few weeks.

 

"Cat got your tongue?" the brunette whispered softly, their lips not even an inch apart. Regina smirked when she watched Emma tense, goosebumps covering pale skin quickly before they slowly faded.

 

Emma was frozen. She didn't know why this happened to her whenever Regina came onto her like this but she knew she had to figure out how to shake it or this woman would be the death of her. Her hand had dropped from her arm to her waist now, and during the midst of her little trance, they had gotten even closer, just now noticing how Regina's arms wrapped around her neck.

 

"Please shut up so I can kiss you." Emma mumbled almost desperately, watching as Regina just laughed and tried to continue talking only to be cut off by Emma's rather demanding lips.

 

Every other kiss seemed innocent compared to this one. Regina knew she was teasing the blonde in a certain respect but she wasn't entirely expecting the amount of passion the she felt course through her body in that moment. Her eyes fluttered shut as she slowly let her body react, having to take a moment to realize what was happening. She felt Emma's hands move down her back and suddenly she was being lifted onto the counter. In any other scenario, she would've insisted that no one sit on the counter, but she wasn't about to tell Emma no when her lips were just now working their way to her neck.

 

Regina was just about to take off her heels, not wanting them to get in the way, when Emma stopped, causing Regina to stop and look at her in confusion. Her breath caught in her throat when she met Emma's gaze, her eyes darker than she'd seen them,

 

"Leave them on." she mumbled lowly, catching her breath for a moment before virtually attacking the brunette's neck once more out of no where, causing a soft moan to escape Regina's lips.

 

Though she knew the blonde didn't particularly care about what others thought and describing her as confident was an understatement, she didn't expect her to be so vocal with her opinions, not in this context anyway. Her head fell to the side slightly as she kept her arms wrapped around her neck, her legs parting slightly as Emma walked between them, their bodies almost flush against one another.

 

"Any other requests I should know about?" Regina asked teasingly as she tangled her fingers through Emma's hair, feeling a hand push her skirt up ever so slightly as teeth bit on her pulse point lightly. She sucked in a breath and tightened her grip on long blonde curls, a low moan leaving Emma's lips almost instantly. Regina paused her own movements for a moment to glance at Emma, a smirk on her lips.

 

"Noted." she mumbled breathlessly before leaning down to kiss her lips, craving it more than she could explain. Not even seconds later, Regina decided she was growing impatient and was rather warm, but she'd be damned if she stripped in her own kitchen, so she tapped Emma's shoulder to get down but the blonde didn't budge.

 

"Upstairs." she said quickly, impatiently waiting for Emma to let her down, but instead she felt herself being lifted and she tightened her grip to keep from falling over. She couldn't help but let out a laugh as Emma went to carry her upstairs blindly, pressing her lips to the blonde's neck softly as they started up the stairs. She glanced at muscles that flexed from lifting her, wanting to reach out and feel them move, but she feared if she let go she'd throw off their balance. She let out another soft laugh as she directed Emma to her bedroom, finding her bad sense of direction amusing, not even surprised at the new found quality.

 

Emma set Regina down gently, closing the door before getting rid of her own shoes, tossing her jacket to the floor along with her belt that was becoming more annoying by the minute. Regina slowly walked over to her bed and sat on the end, crossing her ankles as she watched the blonde with a small smirk, fixing her lipstick as she waited, her heart beating fast with anticipation. Just as Emma was about to move to the bed, Regina stopped her, her eyes even darker than Emma's had been.

 

"Keep going." she half demanded, her tone soft and hopeful as she watched Emma stop in her tracks and glance from her own clothes to Regina's gaze, her fingers slowly starting to undo the buttons on her shirt. Regina swallowed thickly, watching as Emma took more than enough time to get her shirt off, not able to help but stand and get closer, her hands gently moving over the woman's abs as their lips grazed slightly.

 

"I'm crazy about you." Emma breathed, her eyes falling shut before she kissed the brunette with the same amount of force and passion as before, guiding her to the bed. Regina shifted up towards the headboard and sat up slightly, watching Emma who paused her movements seeing Regina's fingers move to the buttons of her own blouse now.

 

Seeing as Emma took her time, Regina decided she'd take even more time, Emma's impatience clear after only the first button. Her own impatience was starting to grow thin, so she continued her movements quickly, tossing her shirt across the room and laying down further. Emma didn't waste a second before reconnecting their lips, her hands roaming her body gently as she straddled her waist.

 

"I don't think I'll be able to think properly soon so if you need to stop please tell me now." Emma half joked, knowing the importance of consent but she always found it off putting in past relationships seeing that it seemed so serious.

 

"Don't you dare stop, I'll never cook for you ever again." she said seriously but cracked a smile after a moment, pulling her down for another kiss...

 

Though it was rather embarrassing, the both of them were rid of their clothes within mere minutes, and it didn't take long after that for Emma to make her way between Regina's legs.

 

"Emma." Regina breathed out in a soft moan, her eyes shut and one hand in her curls, tugging on them roughly. Emma felt her eyes nearly roll to the back of her head as she moaned lowly, trying to focus but Regina was making it rather difficult. She held her inner thighs apart and squeezed them gently as she jutted her tongue out without warning, looking up to see Regina's back arch, her chest rising and falling heavily.

 

"Oh, god." Regina said quietly, not able to think as Emma's mouth worked faster, suddenly feeling a finger move up her thigh agonizingly slow.

 

"Emma is fine-" the blonde teased with a smirk, Regina not even having time to respond as she felt those pesky fingers make themselves known, Regina trying her best not to squirm. Though it was sometimes difficult for Emma to judge a person's reactions, it was obvious Regina wasn't going to last much longer. So, she did what any normal person would do and she sped up.

 

"Emma I'm-" Regina tried to warn, but she couldn't even finish her sentence before her body was arching off the bed once more, a quiet moan escaping her lips as her hips jerked slightly as she came down from her high.

 

Once Emma was sure Regina was finished, she gently ran her tongue up her center, hearing Regina wince slightly causing her to smirk. She looked up at the brunette, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she crawled up next to her. She carefully moved her hair that was stuck to her forehead, welcoming Regina into her arms as the brunette let out a content but exhausted sigh. Regina let her eyes close for a moment before opening them again, looking up at the blonde with a lazy smile, not even realizing how fast she was falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to regret putting this on the internet.
> 
> Would having smut in the next chapter be overkill?


	11. Dessert (pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: More smut.

As the sun started to rise, Regina found herself stirring, always having been an early riser. When she managed to open her eyes, she took in her surroundings, the first thing she noticed being strong arms wrapped around her loosely. She glanced at the sleeping blonde with a small smile, not realizing that they'd both fallen asleep so quickly, and she was impressed that they both slept as long as they did.

 

Though she didn't want to wake Emma, she knew that she'd have to wake her eventually and send her home. She loved their night together but she was never one to 'extend' dates. As she started to wake up further and become aware of their position, she thought of a compromise that she was sure Emma wouldn't mind.

 

She waited a few more moments, trying to figure out the best way about this, really hating that she had to wake her, even if it was like this. 

 

Emma had always been a heavy sleeper, and she enjoyed sleeping in when she could, she Regina's movements were doing virtually nothing to wake her.

 

After Regina had gotten out of Emma's arms without waking her, she turned to face her, moving closer as she cupped her face, her thumb rubbing her cheek gently, smiling as the blonde stirred slightly.

 

"Emma.." she whispered softly with a smile as she gently moved to kiss just below her ear. Emma made an inaudible noise and shifted slightly, Regina not able to help but smile as she kissed down her neck, forcing herself not to laugh at the tired woman.

 

"Em-ma." she whispered again, nipping at her pulse point as she moved one of her hands down perfectly sculpted abs, slowing her touch as she continued kissing down towards her collarbones. Emma shifted more now, slowly starting to wake up. She went to roll to her stomach but Regina was in the way, so she ended up rolling to her back as she started blinking her eyes lazily, noticing her surroundings but still half asleep.

 

Regina took advantage of Emma moving and she gently moved to straddle her waist, keeping the blankets over them both to ensure Emma wouldn't wake up from a cold chill, Regina always hating that feeling herself. When Emma's eyes starting opening Regina looked up slightly, slowly continuing to kiss down the middle of her chest now as she watched her wake up.

 

"Morning." Regina mumbled with a faint smirk, moving two of her fingers to the blonde's center finally, teasing just a bit. It seemed that did the trick to wake up Emma though as she adjusted her position, looking down at Regina in a way she couldn't really describe.

 

Emma ran her fingers through her hair and licked over her lips once before the brunette moved up to kiss her lips. Regina was usually the annoying one to insist on brushing her teeth first, but she wasn't that bothered as of now. She was one hundred percent focused on Emma and she wasn't going to stop just to brush her teeth.

 

"Someone's in a good mood-" Emma mumbled once Regina had started back down again, Regina having to compose herself as she looked away from her, the blonde's morning voice making her wonder if they would ever get out of bed.

 

"Oh hush" she teased with a smile before slowly curling a digit inside of her, glancing up to make sure Emma was actually enjoying this. Of course Regina was a woman and knew what she liked herself, but for some strange reason, it was completely confusing to her on what to do, knowing Emma must've had practice considering how fast she came last night. Ruby would've teased her about how she just hadn't been laid in a while which could've been a part of it, but she wasn't convinced that that was all it was.

 

"Oh so you're just going to wake me up and then tell me I can't even talk?" she teased back, her voice cracking slightly before she winced once, not expecting the intrusion so quickly but then again, she wasn't expecting any of this. Regina looked up at her and smirked slightly, kissing just below her belly button before teasing her clit. She watched Emma's body react with dark eyes, deciding to move back up her body as her finger slowly started to thrust in and out.

 

"Shut up or I'll make you." Regina teased in a whisper, letting out a barely audible laugh as she moved to kiss soft lips again. She stopped before she did though, just now noticing how Emma's body had tensed and her heart rate had sped up, Regina only raising her eyebrows at the woman's non verbal response to what Regina saw as a joke.

 

She kissed her lips finally, forgetting how addicting they were for a moment, her finger thrusting faster as her thumb rubbed circles over her clit, teasing a second finger every now and then.

 

"We'll talk about that later?" Regina said softly and seriously once the kiss broke, watching Emma just nod making her smile as she moved back down slowly, just about completely under the blankets now as she adjusted her hand and inserted a second, her lips replacing her thumb.

 

Emma's chest was rising and falling quickly now and she kept her fingers in Regina's hair, her legs spreading and falling to the sides more as her back arched in attempt to get closer. Regina wasn't entirely sure of what she was doing, but as she curled her fingers and flicked her tongue out she figured she was doing something right because Emma's hips bucked and she heard a low moan escape her lips.

 

She smirked and continued to thrust her fingers and try different things with her mouth and tongue, attempting to stay composed but the way Emma's body reacted and the noises leaving her lips were making it rather difficult.

 

Emma was still waking up, so though she'd typically have more to say, and do frankly, she couldn't help but feel overcome with a sense of euphoria she'd never experienced. It was almost like she was still half asleep as she came down from her high, and she hardly knew what had happened. 

 

Regina slowly made her way back up to Emma as her breathing slowly started to calm down. She smirked as she watched Emma struggled to keep her eyes open, emerald orbs meeting hers as she sucked her fingers clean quickly, licking her lips and moving some of Emma's hair behind her ear.

 

"Thanks for breakfast" she said softly, watching as Emma laid there speechless, slowly getting off of the blonde and out of the bed, retrieving their clothes...

 

Regina had put on some shorts and a shirt and went downstairs while Emma finished getting dressed. She decided to pack up one of the apple turnovers, hoping that maybe it would make Emma leaving less difficult and awkward.

 

"What's this?" Emma asked with a small smile as she walked into the kitchen to meet Regina with the turnover in her hands.

 

"There's no reason for them to go to waste. It's not fresh out of the oven anymore but I promise it's still good." she said with a shrug, watching as Emma took it and nodded.

 

"If it's anything like dinner I'm sure it'll be great, thank you." she said seriously, the both of them slowly heading to the door, neither of them really wanting to say goodbye.

 

"Well I'll get out of your hair." Emma said after a moment of silence, Regina just nodding, a faint smile on her lips as she took a breath, letting it out before taking less than a second to think before acting. She pressed her lips to hers in a passionate breathtaking kiss. Emma was definitely taken off guard, but that didn't stop her from wrapping her arms around her torso and keeping her close as she kissed her back desperately.

 

"I don't have to go-" Emma mumbled into the kiss, humming lowly as she felt Regina wrap her arms around her neck and run her fingers through her hair. Regina heard Emma, and though it was tempting to take her back upstairs, she knew she had to go. 

 

She pulled away only when she felt she needed air, letting her forehead rest of Emma's as she caught her breath, slowly and hesitantly moving away and unwrapping her arms from around her.

 

"Text me when you get home?" she said with a small smile, watching as Emma softened her gaze and finally nodded, the understanding that washed over her making Regina calm down.

 

"Sure.." she said with a smile as she slowly opened the door, turning back before she was completely out the door, glancing from the container in her hand to Regina again, not able to help from smirking,

 

"Thanks for dessert." 


End file.
